The Mask of a Black
by Willow Ann Rover
Summary: 000 on hiatus until the completion of Returning 000 Sirius returns for his sixth year with some new cuts and bruises. Will the Mauraders be able to help him? What new trouble will they stir up this year?
1. Default Chapter

Hello Everyone! As always, these lovely characters belong to the ever enchanting J.K. Rowling, not, unfortunately, to myself. However, I do hope that you enjoy the plot, as it is 100 original. Happy reading, please review!!

Sirius Black sat in the backseat of a car trying to ignore the rest of his family. His father was driving the car to Kings Cross Station in rigid silence, and Sirius could see the muscles in has back working as he gripped the steering wheel. His mother, Aurora Black, was glaring at him through the rearview mirror. She ignored him, however, and turned around in her seat to address his younger brother, Regulus.

"Regulus, darling," she said in a falsely sweet voice. Sirius snorted in cynical amusement, which earned him yet another chilling glare from her. It was normal for other mothers to show their children affection, but in Sirius' opinion, when coming from _his_ mother, it was downright disgusting. Sirius turned his head to stare blankly out the window as she continued.

"Remember, Regulus," she said, a threat lacing its way through her voice. "Your father and I are putting our trust in you to uphold the family name. You have done well so far. We have faith that you will continue succeeding in your classes and consorting with the _right_ sort of people. Do not get distracted by mudbloods and…" She slid her eyes to the side to look at Sirius as she finished, "blood traitors."

Sirius glared back at his mother, chin held up defiantly. His blue eyes were cold as ice as he said frostily, "Don't worry, mother. I'll stay away from dear Regulus."

She brought her chin up as well, holding her head regally. The family resemblance was strikingly noticeable as the two glared piercingly at each other. "Are you mocking me?" she asked him in a deadly quiet voice as she twisted even more in her seat in order to look at him properly.

"No, mother dearest, I wouldn't dream of it." He replied sarcastically, not taking his eyes off hers.

Quick as lightning Aurora's hand shot out and hit him painfully across his face, her nails and expensive rings biting into his skin. "You would do well to remember to respect your elders, Sirius" she said darkly.

She turned back around and whispered into her husband's ear, and he acknowledged her with a curt nod. Sirius clenched his teeth together out of both anger and pain. He turned to look out the window again, his face not betraying a single emotion. That was one of the first lessons Sirius had learned in life—do not, under any circumstances, display emotion. And try as he might he could not break out of it.

One memory from when he was four years old stuck out vividly in his mind. His Aunt Elladora had come to Black Manor to visit, bringing with her Andromeda, Narcissa, and Bellatrix- her three daughters. Bellatrix had been standing with him at the top of the stairs, and she had 'accidentally' pushed him, laughing as he fell down the ornate staircase. He had landed in a jumbled heap, right next to the feet of his mother and his aunt.

When he looked up at them, a few tears were trickling down his face and he reached up to his mother, wanting to be picked up. His aunt, however, looked down at him in disappointment and scowled as she said, "Oh, Aurora. Look at him, he's _crying_. How pitiful."

His mother bent down and grabbed his arm, yanking him to his feet. "Sirius! I am ashamed of you" she spat out. "What did I teach you about showing emotion?"

Sirius sniffled as he repeated what his mother had told him. "Blacks are strong. They show no emotion. They have an impene…. unpeni…unipeme…"

"Impenetrable, Sirius! They have an impenetrable mask up at all times!" She said to him exasperatedly, her voice rising.

"Right." He replied. "That's what I said." He looked up at her and grinned sheepishly. His mother had responded by slapping him and sending him to his room.

Although Sirius was now 16, he still found himself following that rule whenever he was uncomfortable or scared, and it annoyed the hell out of the other Mauraders.

At this thought, Sirius smiled slightly to himself. Within an hour he would be on the train to Hogwarts with his best friends James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, far away from his horrible family.

Meanwhile, James Potter opened one eye and rolled over in bed, sniffing the air in delight. He sat up, suddenly fully awake as he envisioned the breakfast whose delicious smell was now wafting through his room. He threw off the covers and bounded down the stairs, walking soundlessly into the beautiful kitchen of Potter mansion.

His mother was standing in front of the stove, cooking a huge array of food while humming happily to herself. He grinned as he snuck up behind her, put his face right next to her ear, and yelled, "BOO!"

Isabella Potter squeaked and whipped around, holding her spatula out in front of her for protection. James laughed merrily as his mother pouted good naturedly at him as she realized who her assailant was. He shook his head affectionately and wrapped his arms around her, picking her up off the floor and whirling her around. She let out a bubbly laugh and said, "James Potter! You put me down this instant, you silly boy!" He grinned as he put her down and kissed her cheek. "'Morning Mum."

She whacked his arm playfully and said "Good Morning, love. Have a seat at the table, breakfast is nearly ready."

James grabbed a glass of orange juice and chugged it down as he sat at the table, letting out a contented sigh when he was done. His father, Garrett Potter, walked in just as Isabella placed a wonderful variety of food onto the table. James grinned and immediately started to pile up his plate. As Isabella moved to go back to the stove, Garrett wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him, kissing her softly. They pulled apart and Isabella smiled up at him. "Good Morning, Garrett. Sleep well?"

"Very." He replied pleasantly. He turned his head and saw his son at the table, his face barely visible behind the small mountain of food sitting on his plate.

"Good Morning, James!" he said happily. "Ready to go back to school?"

"Gof Mornin', Dad. Yergf, M can't waid to see eferyone agin." James replied, his mouth full.

Garrett laughed at his son's antics and sat down at the table as Isabella sighed and said, "Honestly, James. Chew, swallow, THEN talk. The way you eat, people will think I starve you."

James swallowed and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry Mum" he said quickly before delving into his breakfast again.

She rolled her eyes in mock defeat and said, "Why do I even bother? Is your stuff all ready? Got everything you need? You haven't forgotten anything, have you?"

James sat back behind his now empty plate and thrust one arm over the back of the chair and used his other hand to check off his answers with his fingers, raising a digit with each response. "Because you love me, yes, yes, and no."

She nodded her head and said, "Good. Take your plate to the sink please, dear. Garrett, how do you think we should get to Kings Cross? Should we drive?"

"No, that's boring." He said with a dramatic sigh. "Takes too long. Let's take a portkey."

Isabella gave him a scrutinizing look. "Are you allowed to make a portkey?"

Garrett gave her an innocent look. "Course I am." He said matter-of-factly. "I'm an auror, I'm allowed to make portkeys."

"To get your son to school?" She asked suspiciously.

"Aww, c'mon Mum, live a little. What they don't know can't hurt 'em." James piped up.

"That's the spirit, Jamsie my boy!" Garrett said enthusiastically, springing up from his seat at the table. He wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders and said. "C'mon, Bella. Whaddya say?"

Garrett and James simultaneously put on their most endearing puppy eyes, and Isabella looked at them and said, "Oooh, you two." She then pointed at them and said with mock severity, "You're lucky I love you both so much."

They both grinned in triumph and James said, "Course you do, Mum." He then kissed her on the cheek and ran up the stairs to get his trunk.

Garrett sauntered up to her and said, "And we love you too, Mrs. Potter." He then mimicked his son's actions and kissed her on the cheek before running upstairs to find an old something to make into a portkey.

When the two came back downstairs, Isabella was ready for them both and was waiting in the Entrance Hall of the mansion. She smiled at them. "All ready, you two?"

"Yep." James replied.

"Allright then." Garrett held out a sock with a hole in the bottom of it and said, "Okay everyone, hold on tight. We leave in 3—2—1—"

They landed on Platform 9 and ¾ with a thud, and James promptly tripped over his trunk, went crashing to the ground, and then rolled over and stood up all within the space of three seconds. While brushing off his cloak, he looked around discreetly, trying to make sure no one had seen him. No such luck though.

"Smooth, James, very smooth" said a warm, amused voice from behind him. James turned around.

"Moony! How are you, mate?" James asked grinning, giving his friend a manly hug.

"I'm good, thanks, and you?" Remus responded with a smile.

"Never better" James said.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Potter. How are you?" Remus asked politely.

"Oh, please, Remus, it's Isabella and Garrett—"

"Mr. Potter makes me feel old." Garrett cut in cheekily. Remus grinned as Isabella slapped his shoulder lightly.

"Don't mind him, dear. He's no more grown up then the two of you" Isabella said affectionately. At her remark, a chorus of "Hear, hear!" and "Cheers, Dad", and "Thank God for that" broke out. Isabella shook her head and grinned. "How was you summer, Remus?"

"It was very nice, thanks. My family and I went to visit my aunt in France. What about you?"

"Oh it was splendid, we went to visit James' grandmother on her villa in Italy." Isabella replied.

James leaned over to Remus and whispered in his ear, "I swear, that woman's older then Italy itself."

"James!" Isabella scolded. Garrett, however, only winked at them.

James craned his head, looking over the sea of students. "Oi, Remus, have you seen Sirius causing any mayhem around here?"

"No, I was actually beginning to worry. He'll miss the train if he's not here soon." Remus replied.

James looked at his feet, becoming worried as well, but not about Sirius missing the train. Sirius didn't talk much about his family, not wanting to reveal much about his home life. But James was Sirius' best friend, and he knew things about the Black family that no one else did. And it was for this reason that for every second Sirius didn't appear on the platform, James became infinitely more worried.


	2. Chapter Two

It was 10: 50 when Cepheus Black pulled the car into the parking lot at Kings Cross, and Sirius jumped out of it to pull his stuff out of the trunk. He pulled it out and waited for his family while they hauled out Regulus' unending amount of possessions.

_Merlin, if that boy isn't spoiled, then I'm the Queen of bloody England_. He thought bitterly. His entire family, other than Narcissa, had jet black hair that was sleek and shiny. His mother's was tied back in a tight bun at the base of her neck. She was extremely tall and thin with a very severe face that was constantly glaring at someone. His father, like his mother, was also extremely tall and severe, but was also well built and towered over just about everyone he met. People were instantly intimidated by him, as he looked like one flick of a finger could send someone flying twenty feet into the air.

Having finally collected all of Regulus' belongings, they brushed past him and into the train station. Sirius sighed and turned around, following them through the crowd towards the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. As Sirius walked through the wall and onto platform 9 and ¾, his stomach did a pleasant flip flop as he looked at all the familiar faces, looking for three in particular. Suddenly a voice called over the babbling of the crowd, "Oi! Padfoot! Over here, mate!"

Sirius turned around and saw his two best friends, James Potter and Remus Lupin, along with James' parents standing over to the right of the platform. Sirius grinned and made to move towards them, but a strong hand suddenly shot out and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him into the shadows and spinning him around roughly. His father grabbed his chin in a tight hold and jerked his head upwards to look him in the eyes.

"You listen to me, you filthy boy" He whispered furiously. "Your mother and I have been awfully good to you, putting up with you for so long. It's bad enough that you got sorted into Gryffindor, and I am nearly through with you disgracing our proud family name. You're lucky you have a brother like Regulus who can pick up some of your slack and clean up after you."

Sirius tried to pull away, but his fathers grip on his face only tightened as he pulled him closer. "I can pretend" he continued slowly, "that your beliefs are just a _phase_ that you are going through, but I cannot, and will not, allow you to befriend mudbloods, half-breeds, and filth!"

"They are not filth!" Sirius ground out through clenched teeth. If he had to listen to any more of this pure-blooded mania, he was going to be sick.

"They are filth if I say they are!" Cepheus barked out. "If I hear that you have been… consorting with anyone of the type, especially those blood-traitors—"

"Do you mean the Potters?" Sirius interrupted icily.

His father leaned in close, so that their faces were only centimeters apart. "I'll make you wish you were never born, boy." He threatened in a deadly voice.

"Too late for that." Sirius responded in the same deadly tone.

Cepheus lifted his chin and sniffed haughtily, releasing Sirius and giving him a little shove, which sent him stumbling a few steps backwards.

"Get out of my sight."

Sirius bowed deeply and said, "My pleasure, your Excellency."

He then gathered his stuff and turned around on his heel, stalking away towards his friends. In doing so, he missed the murderous look his father sent at his back.

As Sirius made his way through the crowd, he let out a deep, angry breath, trying to calm himself down. He looked around for his friends again, trying to see which direction he needed to move in. He spotted them again closer to the train, and saw James Potter with his back to him, talking with Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Garrett and Isabella Potter were standing slightly away from the three boys, talking in hushed tones.

Sirius decided to take advantage of his friend's vulnerable state and set his trunk down quietly on the ground, a mischievous twinkle coming to life in his eyes and all thoughts of his family were completely forgotten. He snuck up stealthily behind James, holding a finger to his lips as Remus spotted him. Remus cottoned on, and continued talking to James as normal. Then all of a sudden, Sirius took a flying leap and jumped on to James' back, laughing into his ear.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!" James yelled, startled by the sudden weight of his best mate on his back. Sirius was cackling gleefully from his position. He leaned his elbows on James shoulders and said casually, "Hello, mates! Miss me?"

James laughed and twisted around, plopping Sirius back onto his feet unceremoniously. "Padfoot, mate!" he said grinning, "You nearly gave me a heart attack, and then where would you be?" he asked playfully.

"No doubt lost in the dark oblivion of depression, my dear Jamsie." Sirius said with mock seriousness.

They both grinned at each other for a moment before embracing, patting each other on the back in manly affection. Sirius then turned his attention to his other two friends. "Remmie! Pete! How've you been, guys?"

Remus grinned at him and Peter gave him a watery smile. Remus took a step forward and hugged Sirius as well, saying, "I've been great, Padfoot. And yourself?"

"Never better, mate." He replied, unknowingly mimicking James' earlier words. Remus looked at the two of them and shook his head affectionately.

"What?" They both asked simultaneously.

"Even after a whole summer apart, you two are still eerily alike." Remus said with a smile.

James and Sirius looked at each and grinned happily.

"It's a bit creepy, actually." Peter said.

Sirius and James took a position on either side of him, clapping him on the shoulders. "Pete!" James said, "Can we help it if we're both just so talented—"

"good-looking—"

"brilliant—"

"funny—"

"charming—"

"lovable—"

"amusing—"

"endearing—"

"Allright, allright, I get it guys, geez." Peter cut them off. He grinned up at them, as they were both much taller then he was. "It's good to see you both again."

They both smiled and replied together, "It's good to see you too, mate!"

Peter rolled his eyes good-naturedly. Garrett and Isabella then walked back over the group. "Sirius! Good to see you again, old chap!" Garrett said, sticking out his hand.

Sirius grinned as he shook it, saying playfully, "Hey, watch who you're callin' old, you big geezer." Garrett laughed and shook his head, looking affectionately at the boy who he had come to see as a second son.

"Sirius, darling!" Isabella said.

Sirius turned and looked at Isabella and threw open his arms, exclaiming happily, "IZZY!" He then took her hand and kissed it, making Isabella throw back her head and laugh merrily, her deep chestnut hair falling in little waves down her back. Her hazel eyes twinkled happily as she said, "Oi, I'm never going to get you to stop calling me that, am I?"

Sirius grinned at her and said, "Not a chance. But Izzy! You wound me! No kiss hello for your dear Sirius?"

Isabella laughed again as Sirius turned his head to the side and brushed his hair behind his ear, exposing his cheek for her to kiss. But instead of a kiss, Sirius heard her gasp and felt soft fingers brush over his cheek, and he winced slightly at the stinging pain the contact brought. He opened his eyes and turned his head, looking down at his feet. Silently cursing his own stupidity, he remembered that his mother had hit him in the car. He hadn't thought it would leave a mark, but apparently it did. _Bloody expensive jewelry_, he thought morosely.

"Sirius, love, what happened?" Isabella asked sadly.

Sirius stuttered. "I...um… I was just…er…we were walking and… I fell?" he finished lamely, looking up at her from under his fringe. She looked at him sternly and he sighed, looking down at his feet again. Voicing his earlier thoughts, he said quietly, "Those bloody rings leave a mark every time."

Isabella felt her eyes fill up with tears and she let out a watery sigh, looking over her shoulder at Garrett, who looked furious. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could the clock chimed loudly and the train whistle blew, signaling that it was about to leave.

Sirius lifted his head and said quietly, "I better go." When he saw that Isabella was fighting to keep her tears under control, he sighed and said, "Really, Isabella, I'm fine, don't worry about me." He then bent down slightly and kissed her on the cheek. "It was good to see you again, Izzy." He then turned to Garrett, nodded his head once in acknowledgement and then grabbed his stuff and hurried onto the train, avoiding his friends' worried gazes.

Once on the train, Sirius led the way and moved to the back until he found an empty compartment. Once he found one, he opened the door and went in, putting his trunk up on the rack as he heard his friends file in silently behind him. He sat down next to the window and looked up, waiting for everyone to get settled. James sat down beside him, Peter and Remus across from him.

"So, guys, what did you do this summer?" Sirius asked cheerfully, smiling at them. The smile slowly slid off his face as no one answered him, and he looked around at his friends. Remus was staring at his cheek and Peter was avoiding his gaze all together, looking at his hands. He turned to James, and was relieved to find that he met his gaze squarely. His eyes, however, were looking at him with love, concern, and sadness. Sirius sighed yet again and said, "Come on, guys, don't be like this."

"Don't be like what, Sirius?' James said sternly.

"Like _this_." Sirius clarified, waving his hand around slightly, motioning to the three of them.

"Like _what_, Sirius?" James repeated, mimicking Sirius' movement.

"Bloody hell, James, stop it. I don't want you all acting weird around me just because my family smacks me around a little bit." Sirius said, exasperated.

"Well, excuse me, I'm sorry if I hate the idea of my best mate getting hurt." James replied, getting aggravated that Sirius wouldn't open up to him.

Sirius looked up at him and glared. "I'm serious, James."

"Well, I know _that_, Sirius." James said, a tiny smile coming to his face. The age old pun cracked the ice in the compartment, and Sirius smiled slightly as well as he looked up at them again. James sighed and moved closer to Sirius, wrapping his arm around him. "Listen to me, Sirius. You're our best mate, we care about you, yeah? We just don't want you to get hurt."

Sirius looked down, touched by his friend's open display of affection. "I know, James, I know." Sirius whispered. He looked around and met all of their eyes. "I'm fine, though, really I am."

James sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, removing his arm from around Sirius' shoulders. "Allright, Sirius, allright." He looked up then and rearranged his glasses with one finger before cracking a grin and saying, "Anyone up for a game of exploding snap?"


	3. Chapter Three

Lily Evans, Annmarie Shipley, and Gwendolyn Carter had been best friends since day one of Hogwarts. At first glance, they all seemed so different from each other that it seemed nearly impossible for them to be in the same room with each other, let alone be best friends, but they were, and they knew that they always would be.

Lily Evans had long, beautiful red hair that reached her mid-back and emerald green eyes that could captivate nearly anyone. Annmarie was slightly shorter than Lily, with jet black hair with red streaks in it and deep blue eyes that were currently lined with black eyeliner. Gwen was the smallest of the three, and had deep chestnut colored hair and brown eyes that had golden flecks in them. Needless to say, the three were the most gorgeous girls in Hogwarts and were loved by nearly everyone- four boys in particular. The three friends were currently sitting in a circle on the floor of their compartment, laughing and chatting merrily after an entire summer of being apart.

"Lily, I'm begging you, PLEASE tell me you didn't read through half of our school books already" Annmarie said dramatically, looking at her pleadingly.

Lily looked affronted and brushed her long hair over her shoulder and said, "I didn't."

"Oh, thank Merlin. I was really going to start worrying about you then—" But Annmarie cut herself off when she saw Lily start to grin slyly. "Uh-oh…. What?"

"I read through all of them." Lily finished happily.

Annmarie groaned and put her head in her hands while Lily and Gwen started laughing.

"Honestly, Lily" Annmarie said, her voice slightly muffled by her hands. She looked up and continued, "That's unorthodox."

"Wow, Annmarie!" Gwen exclaimed in mock surprise. "You used a big word! Congratulations!"

Lily giggled and said, "Don't go congratulating her yet, Gwen, be sure she knows what it means first."

Annmarie glowered at them for a minute and said with an exaggerated pout, "Sheesh, only been back a couple hours and you're already making fun of me."

At this both Lily and Gwen started laughing anew and shaking her head slightly, Lily moved to sit next to her and wrapped her arms around her neck. "Awww, Annmarie, you know we love you."

Annmarie sighed and patted Lily's head as she said, "Yes, yes, darling, I know. And I love you too." She then grinned mischievously and sprang up to lie down on the seat, and let her head hang off the back so she was looking at Lily upside down. "But you know who loves you more?" She asked with a grin, waggling her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

"Oh, no, Annmarie, if you even THINK it—"

"James Potter."

Lily groaned and pulled a disgusted face as Gwen said, "Oh, really, Annmarie, don't remind her."

"You know, Lily, I will honestly never understand why you don't like him. He's smart, funny, amazingly good looking—"

"Arrogant, pig headed, self- centered—"

Annmarie ignored her and continued, "And I honestly don't think that there is any boy in Hogwarts who could possibly be better then him—well, Sirius, of course—but other then that, there's no one. You have one of Hogwarts' best bachelor's after you and you're treating him like dirt!"

Annmarie finished her rant with a flourish and looked up at them expectantly, waiting for Lily's usual protesting concerning James' affections towards her. Both Lily and Gwen, however, were looking at her suspiciously with sly grins on their faces. Annmarie sat up properly and pull her legs up so she was sitting Indian style on the bench. "What?" she asked them in confusion, now looking at them right-side up.

"_Who_ is the only boy better then James Potter?" Gwen asked giddily.

Annmarie gave her a funny look. "Gwen, what in the bloody hell are you talking about?"

Gwen ignored her however and turned to look at Lily. "Lils, have you by any chance heard of a boy named Sirius Black?"

"Why, yes, I do believe I have. He's not really my type, but I have to admit, he is quite fetching…" Lily replied innocently.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's going on—"

"Actually, we should be asking you that, Annmarie." Gwen said as she moved to sit next to her on the seat.

Lily sat on her other side and said, "Yeah, you never did tell us what was really going on between you two."

Annmarie blushed and said, "Who? Me? And Sirius? Oh, nothing, obviously, we're just friends…yeah, just good friends…"

Lily rolled her eyes and said, "Oh please, we're not blind."

Annmarie grinned slightly then and said, "Allright, allright, we just… have this weird sort of game going on, I guess. But in all honestly, we are really good friends, you know that, we have been for ages now, and we just sort of, poke fun at each other and mess around a bit."

"You mean flirt a bit." Gwen corrected.

"We do not!" Annmarie said heatedly.

"Do too" Lily muttered quietly.

"Do not!" Annmarie said with a pout.

"Fine, fine, Annmarie, whatever you say…"

"Hmph. I do NOT like Sirius." She said, crossing her arms and slouching in her seat. When they looked down at her disbelievingly, she said quietly, "I don't."

Lily looked down at her and smiled softly, "Are you trying to convince us of that, or yourself?"

Annmarie didn't answer her, only looked down her crossed arms. Lily sighed and looked over at Gwen and mouthed, "Change the subject!"

Gwen's eyebrows scrunched together as she wracked her mind for something to say. "Oh!" she said suddenly, making the other two girls jump in shock. "I've got PICTURES!! Wanna see?" she said excitedly, bouncing slightly in her seat.

"Yeah!" Annmarie exclaimed happily, all earlier thoughts forgotten. "Where did you go again?"

Gwen replied as she rifled through her trunk. "Oh, we went to this really beautiful island in the Caribbean, bloody far away, but well worth it…"

Meanwhile, a loud bang echoed throughout the boys' compartment, and Peter's eyebrows got thoroughly singed. Once the smoke cleared, the boys looked around at each others faces, which were all covered in soot.

"Allright" Remus said, chuckling. "Maybe it's time to put this game away."

"Awww, c'mon Moony, that's no fun." James whined.

"Well, I guess we could continue playing, but you wouldn't want to be all sooty when you see a certain Ms. Evans again, would you?"

The game was back in its box before Remus even finished his sentence. They all laughed and a few spells later the four boys were clean and all eyebrows were intact.

"Speaking of Ms. Evans, where is she? Annmarie is probably with her…" Sirius said thoughtfully.

"Awww, does Sirius miss his girlfriend?" James asked mockingly.

Sirius gave him a playful shove and averted his eyes as his cheeks turned slightly pink. He considered his answer and replied carefully, "She's not my girlfriend, Prongs." He did in fact miss her, but he wasn't up to admitting that right now.

"Well, she could be." James quipped.

"Yes, well, you're one to talk, Jamsie my friend. How long have you been pursuing Ms. Evans? And tell me, how long has she been your girlfriend?" Sirius replied with a casual grin.

It was James' turn to blush as he muttered, "She's not my girlfriend, Padfoot, but not for lack of trying."

Sirius' grin grew as he mimicked, "Well, she could—"

But James cut him off by tackling him before he could finish his sentence. Remus shook his head affectionately as he stepped over their wrestling forms in order to get to the door.

"I've got to go on patrol, guys- prefect duties, and all. But perhaps a good way to solve this little dilemma would be to go find them and talk to them?" Remus winked at them. "Just a suggestion, guys." He then left the compartment, leaving James and Sirius panting on the floor and a bewildered Peter sitting on the bench.

"You know, Prongsie, I reckon our dear Moony has a point." Sirius stated.

"Mr. Padfoot, I do agree with you." He then jumped up and reached down to grab Sirius' hand and pull him to his feet. "What do you say we go find them? You go to the left, I'll go right, and just give a shout when you find them."

"Righto, Captain Prongs!" He saluted James and then turned to look at Peter. "We'll be back in a jiffy, Pete."

"Er… Sirius?" he replied hesitantly.

"What's up, Pete?" Sirius asked, turning around to look at him properly.

"What're you gonna do about your… ya no…" he used his hand to motion towards Sirius' cheek.

"Oh! Bloody hell, I almost forgot. Thanks Pete." He paused and James saw some worry creep up into his eyes. "What AM I going to do about it? Is it bad, James?"

James thought quickly before whipping out his wand and muttering a concealment charm. Instantly, the bruise on Sirius cheek faded away and was replaced with the smooth skin that was normally there. He then replaced his wand and looked at Sirius innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Padfoot, mate."

Sirius smiled at him gratefully and opened his mouth to speak, but James waved his hand dismissively and said, "You ready to go?"

Sirius' smile grew into his famous grin and he said, "Absolutely."

Lily, Annmarie, and Gwen had their backs to the compartment door and were all huddled together, looking at the pictures that Gwen had taken on her vacation to the Caribbean.

"I took this one off the balcony of our room. Look how far you could see! I swear, you could see miles of clear blue water. Ooh, and you see there, that little spec on the water? That's the boat my parents went on to go scuba diving." Gwen said excitedly.

Annmarie gave her a funny look. "What in the name of Merlin is scuba diving?"

Lily and Gwen laughed at her. Annmarie was the only one of the three that grew up in the wizarding world, so they often ended up explaining many muggle things to her, which Annmarie usually never understood.

"It's when you swim really deep underwater to look at the marine life." Lily explained patiently.

"Marine life? What, like fish?" she asked, a weird look on her face. "Why would anybody want to go swim around with fish?"

"Some people find it fascinating." Gwen said, while Lily nodded her head emphatically. "I know my mum loved their different colors. All bright and exotic and everything."

Annmarie gave them an incredulous look. "So people actually risk their lives by swimming hundreds of feet underwater, where there's no air, by the way, just to see the little blue fish swim around with the little yellow fish?"

Lily and Gwen burst out laughing, and Annmarie continued to mutter to herself under her breath. "Bloody insane, if you ask me."

As Lily calmed down and caught her breath, she looked at her watch and said, "Oh, guys, I have to go."

"Prefect duties?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah. I'll be back as soon as the meeting's over. See you later." She said, standing up and moving towards the door.

"Bye Lily" Gwen said.

"Later Lils" Annmarie said. Once Lily was gone, she looked over at Gwen and said, "Show me more!"

Gwen smiled and flipped to the next picture. "Here's me on the beach. See those things in my hair? They're tiny little shells that sparkle under the light. They're so pretty."

"So are you, Gwen." Annmarie said quietly, looking down at the picture. "You look gorgeous."

Gwen blushed and said, "No more gorgeous then you, Annmarie."

Annmarie smiled sadly and shook her head. "Me? Gorgeous? Not a chance."

"I happen to disagree with you" a soft voice said from behind her.

She whipped around to see Sirius in the doorway of the compartment, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. Annmarie felt her breath catch in her chest as she looked at him and a huge smile split across her face.

"SIRIUS!" she exclaimed happily, and ran over to him and practically jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug. He had to bend down slightly in order to wrap his arms around her waist, so he tightened his hold and stood up straight, bringing her feet up off the floor. She squealed slightly and pulled her head back so she was looking him in the face, and found him grinning at her.

"Miss me?" he asked cheekily.

Instead of answering him, Annmarie laughed and moved to be put down, but he only held her tighter to him, not letting her go. Annmarie sighed in mock exasperation and rolled her eyes affectionately and said, "Yes, I did, Sirius. Happy now?"

His grinned widened and he said, "Yes, very." He then set her down on her feet and turned to Gwen. "Hey Gwen" he said cheerily. "Have a nice summer?"

"Hello, Sirius" she replied with a smile, looking slyly between the two of them. "Yeah, it was fantastic, thanks" She responded.

"And what about you, Annmarie? How was your summer?" Sirius asked, not giving Gwen time to ask how his own summer was. Annmarie beat him to it though.

"My summer was fine, although it would have been better if I had heard from you _once_. What were you doing, that had you so busy?" she asked curiously.

His grin faded slightly and he replied genuinely, "I'm sorry, Annmarie."

Annmarie was shocked. Did Sirius just _apologize_? To _her_? For _what_? Thoroughly bewildered, she opened her mouth to question to him, but Sirius spoke before she had a chance to.

"I have no excuse." He then walked forward and took her hand, kissing it softly. "Forgive me?" he inquired innocently, looking up at her with puppy dog eyes.

Annmarie felt her heart melt, and she heard Gwen let out a wistful sigh. She grinned and brushed her thumb slightly over Sirius', which was still holding her hand. "Of course, Sirius. But—"

He let her hand go and interrupted her quietly. "It's getting dark out" he said, looking out the window behind her. "We'll be at school soon."

Gwen jumped up at this. "Oh, yes! We should get changed."

Sirius grinned at them and sent them sly looks as he said, "I'll leave you to it, then."

He moved to leave the compartment, but hesitated in the doorway. He then turned around and looked directly at Annmarie, a lopsided smile on his face. "And Annmarie …I think you're beautiful."

And with that he grinned at her one last time, turned around, and left the compartment.


	4. Chapter 4

James yawned loudly and stretched his arms out over his head. He then sighed contentedly and placed his hands on his stomach, smiling sleepily as he said, "That was good."

"That it was, my dear Prongsie." Sirius replied with a small, crooked smile. The Welcoming Feast had ended and the four boys were now lying in their beds, getting ready to call it a night. Now safely in his dormitory, Sirius could feel the tension that had built up in his body slowing leaking away. Darkness was slowly seeping protectively around him, luring him to sleep. He rolled over so he was on his side facing James, and he closed his eyes as he sighed softly.

James studied his best friend carefully, concern showing plainly in his eyes as they raked over every feature of Sirius' face. His usually tan skin and lightly flushed cheeks were now unnaturally pale, contrasting starkly with the dark circles under his eyes. His normally lean and muscular body looked thinner- too thin, and James knew that under his shirt his torso was probably scattered with multi-colored bruises. The differences were subtle, but to someone who knew Sirius as well as James did, they were painstakingly obvious.

James sighed sadly and glanced around, making sure Remus and Peter had their hangings shut before crawling out of bed and leaning over Sirius so he was speaking quietly into his ear.

"Sirius," he whispered.

"Mhmm?" his friend mumbled back, eyes still closed.

James hesitated slightly before saying, "Is there any way I can get you to go see Madam Pomfrey?"

Sirius' eyes flickered open and he sat up, looking at James' face. He opened his mouth to ask why, but before he could say anything James interrupted him and said, "Don't ask why, Sirius, you know why."

Sirius looked at him sheepishly and abruptly snapped his mouth shut. He then moved over so James could sit on the bed next to him and said, "I don't need to go see her, James. It's not that bad, really."

James sat down and gave him a calculating look, saying, "If it's not that bad…then let me see."

"_What?_" Sirius asked him incredulously. "James, it's only my cheek—"

"It's not only your cheek, Sirius, and you know it." James said sternly. His expression then turned pleading. "Please?" he whispered. When he saw Sirius hesitate, he spoke again. "Sirius, please, let me help you."

Sirius looked sadly at him and said, "I don't think you can, James."

James turned away, a pained look on his face. He closed his eyes, feeling miserable, angry, and hurt. He heard Sirius suck in a breath, but he still didn't look at him as he said, "Fine, Sirius, fine." He stood up and made to walk back to his bed, but a hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. James turned and looked into Sirius' face, which wasn't looking at him, but his arm was pulling him back down onto the bed. James pulled the hangings shut before sitting back down and casting a silencing charm. He then looked at Sirius, waiting patiently for him to continue.

Sirius looked up at him hesitantly. "If I show you, will you stop worrying about me?"

James shook his head and said, "No, I'll still worry, but… I'll stop nagging you to go see Madam Pomfrey, as long as you let me heal anything I can."

Sirius nodded and started blankly at his duvet for a moment before slowly tugging his shirt over his head. He had several small bruises dotting the right side of his collar bone, and further down his torso his entire left side was a nasty shade of purple, turning an ugly blue and yellow around one rib in particular.

James bit his lip to stifle a gasp and asked, "And your back?"

Sirius shook his head and said, "No, it healed earlier in the summer."

James took a deep breath. "Oh, Sirius…" he sighed.

Sirius tugged his shirt back on and said, "Don't, James." He was looking down, playing with the fringe of his bedspread. James put one hand on his shoulder and put the other under his chin, raising his head until their eyes met. "You didn't deserve it, Sirius" James whispered.

Sirius' eyes slid shut and James felt him tremble slightly. He gave his shoulder a light squeeze before releasing him and saying, "That rib looks broken, cracked at least. I'll look up a spell tomorrow to mend it."

"…thank you" Sirius said quietly, and James knew he meant it for more than just the spell. James nodded and smiled at him, which Sirius weakly returned.

James then cancelled the silencing spell, whispered a goodnight, and went back to his own bed.

Sirius lay back onto his pillow and listened as James shut his hangings and settled into bed. He brought a trembling hand up to his face and covered his eyes, willing himself not to cry. It was much easier to be emotionless around people he hated. But even though he was upset, for the first time in months- he felt safe. Sirius sighed deeply and rolled over onto his good side, falling almost immediately into a much needed sleep.

When Lily, Annmarie, and Gwen walked sleepily into the Great Hall the next morning, Annmarie's eyes immediately found the person she was looking for. She turned to Lily and said, "Lils…I know you hate James, but… can we sit with the Marauders this morning? Please?" she asked hopefully.

Lily looked over at them and saw an empty seat next to Sirius and two across from the boys, and she nodded her head as she said, "Sure, as long as you sit next to Sirius. There's no way I'm dealing with him this early in the morning."

Annmarie grinned happily and said, "Thanks, Lily." She then walked over and plopped down unceremoniously next to Sirius, leaving Lily and Gwen to follow.

"That was very smooth" Gwen muttered in her ear as they sat down.

Lily smiled and said, "Of course it was."

Meanwhile, Annmarie was looking at the dish of bacon that was all the way across the table, meaning she would have to reach two feet for it, and then eyeing the bacon that was on Sirius' plate, which was right next to her. Her eyes slid between the two for a minute before she reached over and took Sirius' bacon from his plate and put it on her own.

He looked at her and laughed as he said, "Well, good morning to you too, sunshine!"

She smiled sleepily at him as she chewed the bacon. She swallowed and then questioned, "How are you so cheery in the morning?"

He shrugged and said, "Once I'm up, I'm up!"

"Yeah, but it's getting him up that's the hard part" James grumbled next to him.

Sirius laughed good naturedly and threw an arm around his shoulders. "Aww, Jamie, you know you love me."

James rolled his eyes and shoved Sirius off of him, but nodded his head all the same as a sheepish grin slid across his face. Lily and Gwen had sat down across from them and were slowly eating their breakfasts while shooting little knowing glances at Annmarie. James raised an eyebrow at Lily, who merely raised her own right back at him and said, "Can I help you with something, Potter?"

A wicked grin suddenly shot up on his face and his eyes twinkled merrily as he opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by their timetables suddenly appearing on the table. His grin faded to a small smile as he picked up his timetable and started scrutinizing it, the others following his lead.

"Oh, bloody hell, Potions first thing…" James grumbled.

"Really, James, I don't know why you complain so much about it, it's not like you're bad at it. You're actually quite good at it." Remus said logically.

"Well, of course I am." James replied matter-of-factly.

Lily scowled and said, "Yes, because James Potter is the best at everything."

James turned to her and said, "Well thank you, Lily! I didn't know you felt that way! Although, I do have to agree with you…"

She glared at him and replied coldly, "You sicken me."

James' smile slipped slightly and he said, "Now now, Lily, no need to get nasty…"

"I'm not being nasty," she replied haughtily. "I'm being honest."

"Well of course you are!" James exclaimed, his smile now completely gone. "Self-righteous Lily Evans, never does anything wrong!"

Gwen and Remus simultaneously dropped their faces into their hands, and Remus mumbled, "Here we go again…"

"Yep…" Gwen replied tiredly.

Annmarie, however, was ignoring the fighting pair and was looking carefully at Sirius, who seemed to have noticed her attention and he turned to look at her, grinning slightly.

"Are you still completely asleep, or are you gazing my way on purpose?" he asked playfully.

Annmarie, however, ignored his mood and said seriously, "Are you feeling allright?"

Sirius looked at her, slightly taken aback and said, "Yeah, of course. Why?"

She peered at him closely and said, "I dunno… you're a bit pale, and you seem a bit off…"

Sirius' face was now completely impassive as he said nonchalantly, "I'm fine, really, it's just early, ya no?"

Remus had picked up on what was happening and he spoke loudly so he could be heard over James and Lily's bickering. "Don't worry about it, Annmarie, we were all up late last night planning."

There was a slight silence in which James and Lily shut up and everyone turned to stare at him, and Remus held his breath, hoping that the girls wouldn't pick up on what he was doing.

The pause ended when Gwen said suspiciously, "Planning? Planning what?"

Sirius grinned easily and said, "That's for us Marauders to know, and for you to find out, ladies."

Remus silently let out the breath he had been holding, grateful that the subject had been changed away from Sirius' health.

Lily, still fuming over James' arrogant behavior, looked at her watch and said suddenly, "It's time for us to go." She then stood abruptly and stalked out of the Great Hall, followed by Gwen and Annmarie, who sent sympathetic glances at James as they left.

All four boys watched them go in silence, slightly stunned by the eventful breakfast they had just had. As soon as the girls were out of sight, Sirius immediately turned to Remus and said, "Moony…what would I do without you?"

Remus chuckled and said, "I think you'd manage, Padfoot."

Sirius shook his head and said, "I wouldn't." He paused then before saying seriously, "Thank you."

Remus smiled at him and said, "Don't mention it, Sirius. Any time." He then stood and grabbed his book bag. "Well, are we going?" he asked.

"Yeah." Peter replied. He stood as well and followed Remus as they started walking out of the Great Hall.

Sirius stood and waited for James, who was still sitting down before he slowly stood and gathered his things, before looking at Sirius and giving him a puzzled look.

"What was the all about?" He asked as they entered the hallways and started making their way down to the dungeons.

"What?" Sirius asked confusedly.

"That thing with Remmie. What did he do?" James asked.

"Oh…er…" Sirius stuttered awkwardly. "Annmarie noticed that I looked…pale, I guess, and started asking me if I felt allright. Remus must have noticed that I was uncomfortable, and he changed the subject for me."

James had stopped walking and was staring at the ground. Sirius, noticing the lack of his best friend by his side, stopped and turned around. "Prongs?" he asked. "…Why are you standing in the middle of the hallway?"

James looked up at him guiltily. "I didn't notice."

"…If you didn't notice that you had stopped moving and are standing planted to one spot, I think we might need--" Sirius began.

James shook his head and said in an exasperated voice, "No, Sirius! That's not what I meant! I didn't notice that Annmarie was…interrogating you!"

"She wasn't interrogating me, James, she was just…talking! There was nothing to notice!" Sirius said firmly, trying to sooth James who looked like he was getting more and more upset by the second.

"But, Sirius! That's not the point- oh, fine! _Maybe_ I shouldn't have noticed that she was 'talking' to you, but I _definitely_ should have noticed that you were uncomfortable!" James cried, now looking thoroughly distressed.

Sirius' brow furrowed and he walked up to James and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Woah, mate," he said softly. "It really wasn't something to get this upset over." He paused before continuing. "What is this really about?" he asked quietly, giving James' shoulders a small squeeze.

James looked away from Sirius, glaring fiercely at the wall before ripping off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose, his eyes shut tight and his shoulders slumped.

"It's just…" he started in a choked voice. "It's just…last night, you told me I couldn't help you." He paused here, his eyes still scrunched closed. "And I want to, Sirius. I _need_ to. You're my best friend, my brother, and…" Here he paused again, but opened his eyes and looked directly into Sirius' deep blue ones, which were reflecting the pain that James knew was in his own. "How am I supposed to help you at home…when I can't even help you here?"

Sirius looked at him and felt his heart break and then swell in gratitude, and he opened his mouth to reply, only to find that he couldn't speak. He snapped his mouth shut and realized that he was once again blinking back tears, except this time James was fighting them as well. Instead of speaking, Sirius merely stepped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around his friend, and he felt James' arms secure themselves carefully around his shoulders. And they stayed that way, simply clinging to each other with all preconceptions of manliness gone from their minds, and together they fought back their tears that were threatening to sneak out.

"James…" Sirius whispered hoarsely, still holding him tightly. "You do help me. You do protect me."

He felt James shake his head as he replied brokenly, "I don't, Sirius, I don't…I can't…but I wish—I wish that I could-- "

Sirius pulled back but placed his hands on James' shoulders again. "James, look at me" he said. When James looked up at him, Sirius said quietly but fiercely, "You do protect me, James." He paused slightly before saying, "You protect me from myself."

James' eyes widened slightly, but Sirius continued before he could interrupt. "When I'm at home… " Sirius paused here, and James stayed perfectly still, knowing that Sirius was finally, after all these years, about to open up to him about his home life, and he feared that moving even the slightest inch would scare Sirius away. So James waited, not even daring to breathe, as Sirius inhaled deeply and then continued.

"When I'm at home, and… and my parents have just insulted me… and beaten me, and… have ripped apart my stupid, _stupid_ dreams of … of having a family that loves me for me… the only thing that keeps me going, James…is you. You and Remus and Pete…you're my…my reason for living. You're the reason I keep fighting them. Without you…I… I would have given up a long time ago. You're my reason for living. You're the reason why I'm still alive today." He paused and searched James' eyes desperately.

"Don't you see, James?" he asked, giving him a little shake. "Don't you see how much you've helped me? You saved my life, James." And Sirius let out a small sob as he said, "More times than you can imagine."

And this time it was James who pulled Sirius into a fierce hug, both of them with tears running down their faces.


End file.
